An Air Force Veteran was amongst Capitol Hill rioters
Larry Rendall Brock, Jr. was seen wearing a combat helmet, body armor, and tactical gear while holding zip-tie handcuffs
Former Air Force lieutenant colonel, Larry Rendall Brock, Jr., was amongst the rioters that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday in protest of the certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral votes.
Brock, 53, is a Texas-based Air Force Academy graduate. He was captured in photos and on film wearing a combat helmet, body armor, and tactical gear while holding zip-tie handcuffs inside of the Senate chamber.
According to The New Yorker, John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto’s Munk School, notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation of Brock’s identity.
Read More: Rioters who stormed US Capitol now face backlash at work
Brock wore notable patches including a yellow fleur de lis, a badge belonging to the 706th Fighter Squadron, and symbols of Texas including a vinyl tag of the Texas flag with a skull logo of The Punisher, a Marvel-based comic book character.
“I used a number of techniques to hone in on his identity, including facial recognition and image enhancement, as well as seeking contextual clues from his military paraphernalia,” Scott-Railton told The New Yorker.
The New Yorker also noted an interview with Brock confirming his presence. He denied that he was racist and echoed President Donald Trump’s claims of voter fraud. He told the outlet his intention was to protest peacefully.
“The president asked for his supporters to be there to attend, and I felt like it was important, because of how much I love this country, to actually be there,” Brock told The New Yorker.
Read More: Trump asked election investigator to ‘find the fraud’
Alan Rozenshtein, a law professor at the University of Minnesota, along with other legal experts said the rioters who breached the Capitol could face criminal charges that range from disorderly conduct to seditious conspiracy.
“Presumably this person broke into Congress in order to stop or intimidate or interfere with the counting of the Electoral College certification, a fundamental feature of the peaceful transition of power in the United States,” Rozenshtein said.
According to USA Today, Hillwood Airways confirmed that Brock was terminated as an employee.
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